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The Ego Tunnel: The Science Of The Mind And The Myth Of The Self (2009)

by Thomas Metzinger(Favorite Author)

4.03 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0465045677 (ISBN13: 9780465045679)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Basic Books

review 1: If one assumes that all that exists is the stuff that the laws of Physics describe: mass, electromagnetic fields and so no, and there are no gods, no breath of life and no spirit, then what exactly is the "self". Thomas Metzinger, a German philosopher uses recent work in neurology, pharmacology and computer science to venture an answer. His answer is that there is no self, it is an appearance, like the color green. I won't try to recapitulate his case. Since he is a German Philosopher, it is long and involved. Although he has a sense of humor that I enjoyed. He says that we can observe and record what he calls the Neural Correlates of Consciousness and he tries to show how they might account for phenomena like will and empathy and language. He goes on to discuss the i... moremplications of neurological research and computer science on society and the questions we should be considering.For anybody who has seen the benefits of a meditation practice but whose view of reality is rooted in the scientific method, it would be a very interesting read. Personally, I found fascinating although it's not an easy read and I think it would take more background and a second reading to do it justice.
review 2: Thomas Metzinger is one of those rare philosophers who take neuro-science and cognitive science and the implications coming from the extensive research on the brain and consciousness seriously. In fact, seriously enough to engage in cognitive science research himself and in collaboration with other scientists. The importance for this engagement cannot be overly emphasized!Most of the book is an argument for the "self" as an emergent phenomenon of our biology, which in certainly backed by the evidence from neuroscience and is very much in alignment with the buddhist understanding of the self. The "Ego Tunnel" is Metzinger's term for the self as a "tunnel-visioned experience of the world." This tunneling has allowed for the emergence of self-awareness and self-reflection, but it has also led to much of "the world" left out. As the buddha might say, the phenomenological world is a mental formation.The really important implication from this and the fact that ever more technologies are being created that can manipulate and even control the experience of the self raises some novel and rather serious ethical questions. Are there better or worse states of consciousness? Are there states of consciousness that should be outlawed? Should we use technology to attain "better" states of consciousness? Ultimately, Metzinger is arguing for the necessity of a morally sensitive philosophy of mind.His final chapter, "A New Kind of Ethics" offers the first tentative steps toward such a philosophy. As he points out, "In the past, we have not arrived at a convincing assessment of the intrinsic value of ... artificially induced states of consciousness, of the risks and benefits they carry not only for the individual citizen but for society as a whole. We have simply looked the other way..... There is no way of 'doing nothing'; whatever we do has consequences. This is true for the problems of the past as well as for the new challenges we face in the future." Sadly, I don't see our culture and society doing the homework. It seems to me that we'll plod along and then face new crises unprepared and ignorant.Metzinger also warns about how advertising and social media are effecting brain functionality and consciousness and offers this advice:"Every child has a right to be provided with a 'neurophenomenological toolbox' in school: at a minimum this should include two meditation techniques, one silent and one in motion; two standard techniques for deep relaxation...; two techniques for improving dream recall and inducing lucidity; and perhaps a course in what one might call 'media hygiene." less

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